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Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas has filed a lawsuit against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, for what he alleges is the unauthorized use of his name on uniforms.
Thomas also names jersey-makers Nike and Fanatics in the suit, which seeks a payment in excess of $50,000 and a trial by jury.
The suit stems from the team's sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys the team began selling last April, ESPN reports. Those replica jerseys featured Thomas' name and iconic No. 35 alongside the White Sox logo and Nike branding.
A hearing has been scheduled for May 21 in Cook County Circuit Court.
Thomas played 16 of his 19 MLB seasons with the White Sox, but has endured an up-and-down relationship with the team.
The five-time All-Star and back-to-back American League MVP in 1993 and 1994 had a "diminished skills" clause in his contract invoked in 2002 that cut his base salary roughly in half.
He also sued two White Sox team doctors in 2006, claiming they misdiagnosed a broken foot that eventually led the team to release him. The suit was settled in 2011.
And just last month, Thomas blasted the organization on social media for a Black History Month post highlighting the team's "momentous firsts" that failed to mention its all-time leader in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging percentage, offensive WAR and a host of other offensive categories.
"I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable!" Thomas posted on X.
The White Sox told ESPN they do not comment on active litigation. The Major League Baseball Players Association could not be reached for comment on the suit, and Nike and Fanatics declined.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frank Thomas sues White Sox over City Connect jersey sales
Continue reading...
Thomas also names jersey-makers Nike and Fanatics in the suit, which seeks a payment in excess of $50,000 and a trial by jury.
The suit stems from the team's sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys the team began selling last April, ESPN reports. Those replica jerseys featured Thomas' name and iconic No. 35 alongside the White Sox logo and Nike branding.
A hearing has been scheduled for May 21 in Cook County Circuit Court.
Thomas played 16 of his 19 MLB seasons with the White Sox, but has endured an up-and-down relationship with the team.
The five-time All-Star and back-to-back American League MVP in 1993 and 1994 had a "diminished skills" clause in his contract invoked in 2002 that cut his base salary roughly in half.
He also sued two White Sox team doctors in 2006, claiming they misdiagnosed a broken foot that eventually led the team to release him. The suit was settled in 2011.
And just last month, Thomas blasted the organization on social media for a Black History Month post highlighting the team's "momentous firsts" that failed to mention its all-time leader in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging percentage, offensive WAR and a host of other offensive categories.
"I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable!" Thomas posted on X.
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The White Sox told ESPN they do not comment on active litigation. The Major League Baseball Players Association could not be reached for comment on the suit, and Nike and Fanatics declined.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frank Thomas sues White Sox over City Connect jersey sales
Continue reading...
